Fans of the Insane Clown Posse (ICP), also known as Juggalos and Juggalettes (feminine), come from all walks of life. Male, female, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim, atheist, black, white, purple — your gender, economic status, religion, and color don’t matter to other true Juggalos and Juggalettes.[1] All that matters is that you’re “down with the clown.” Read on to find out if you’re a true Juggalo or Juggalette.

Steps

Part 1

Knowing the Music, Mythology and Holidays

1

Love the music. If you love ICP’s music and it influences how you see the world, chances are you’ve got at least a little Juggalo/lette in you, even if you don’t wear the makeup or HatchetGear.

Part of loving the music means collecting all of the Joker’s Cards (full-length studio albums) and knowing each of them by heart.

2

Attend the Gathering.[2][3] The Gathering, aka Gathering of the Juggalos, is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records (ICP’s record label). It features performances by some of the label’s bands as well as occasional, more mainstream guest performances — for example, Busta Rhymes performed there in 2011.[4]

The Gathering has been described by many as a sort of “Juggalo Woodstock”. Juggalos and Juggalettes flock there to meet up with other fans, who they regard as “family”.

A popular short documentary of the Gathering, titled American Juggalo, explored the general atmosphere and attitude of the attendees, depicting a wide variety of fans who in general seemed to adhere to ICP’s peace, love, and family (often chanted as “fam-i-ly” by ‘los and ‘lettes) philosophy.[5]

3

Celebrate Juggalo Day. If you’re a true ‘lo or ‘lette, chances are you celebrate Juggalo Day, which is on February 17th each year. Everyone celebrates it a bit differently, but the main goal for most is to celebrate their love of ICP, Psychopathic Records, and their Juggalo/lette family members.

4

Be familiar with the Dark Carnival. Violent J (1/2 of ICP) describes the Dark Carnival as God, but not the same God as in Christianity or other religions. The Dark Carnival is its own religion. Visitors to the Gathering — including non-Juggalos/lettes — often report of feeling a certain magic at the festival: a wonderful feeling of connectedness and being loved. For ICP, that feeling — of being loved — is akin to God, aka the Dark Carnival.[6]

ICP raised some controversy amongst fans when they first confirmed the religious undertones of their music; however, the band does not require anyone to have faith in order to be a true Juggalo or Juggalette.[7]

5

Know your lyrics. Knowing the lyrics to ICP songs will help you be true to the lifestyle. A lot of the songs are comically violent and sexual, but beneath that humour there is often a sense of togetherness and family, which is key to being a true Juggalo/lette.

For example, the song “Homies” encourages love and acceptance amongst all ‘los and ‘lettes.[8]

6

Know the lingo. Knowing the specific greetings and terms used by ‘los and ‘lettes is an important element of being a member of the family. If you listen to the music and attend the events/hang out with other ‘los and ‘lettes, chances are you already know a lot, but if you don’t, you can get started with a few basics:

“Whoop-whoop!” This is used in a number of ways — often to greet fellow ‘los and ‘lettes or to voice agreement.[9] Example: If you are out at the mall and you see someone wearing an ICP shirt you could give them a little “Whoop-whoop!” to signal that you’re part of the family and that you recognize them.

“Wassup Juggalo?” It’s nice to show recognition when you see a fellow ‘lo or ‘lette. If you see someone rocking the Hatchetman or Hatchetgirl logo (a man or girl running, holding a hatchet, often in red), say “Wassup Juggalo (or Juggalette, if it’s a female)?” They’ll likely smile in response.[10]

“Down with the clown.” This phrase is used to describe people who subscribe to the Juggalo/lette lifestyle. Ex: A fellow Juggalo might ask you if you’re “down with the clown,” to which you might reply, “Fuck yeah, whoop-whoop!”[11]

7

Listen to other Psychopathic Records bands. If you’re a Juggalo/lette, chances are your fandom isn’t just limited to ICP. Some other Psychopathic Records bands that you like might include Twiztid, Dark Lotus, and Blaze.[12]

Part 2

Living the Lifestyle

1

Eat junk food. Part of the Juggalo/lette lifestyle is eating junk food — things like pizza and tacos, particularly from fast food restaurants and buffets.[13]

2

Drink Faygo. If you’re a true ‘lo or ‘lette, you likely drink Faygo — the cheap, sweet soda that has become one of ICP’s trademarks, which they often spray at the audience during shows. Diet Faygo is also okay!

3

Be friends with other ‘los and ‘lettes. If you’re a Juggalo/lette, chances are you’re friends with other ‘los and ‘lettes. Your fellow fans are your family — many ‘los and ‘lettes claim that they're closer to their fellow fans than their own blood.

4

Be kind. ICP’s lyrics might be violent and sexualized, but the band itself does not promote violent behaviour. Juggalos and Juggalettes form an inclusive family whose members support and stand up for one another.

Although some self-proclaimed Juggalos and Juggalettes have broken off into sects and behaved in a violent, gang-like manner, ICP denies that the family is a gang at all — so don’t feed the misinformation by behaving like a gangster![14]

Doing good deeds in your community will help give ICP and the family a better name. Make your family look good![15]

5

Keep an open mind. Juggalos and Juggalettes come from all walks of life. If you're a true Juggalo/lette, you won’t judge people by how they look, what they believe in, or how rich or poor they are.

In “What is a Juggalo”, Violent J says a Juggalo “ain’t like anybody that you’ve ever met before.”[16] He and Shaggy 2 Dope say a lot of other things that suggest Juggalos are a wacky bunch, which is true — a true Juggalo/lette will see past the literal meaning of the lyrics and understand that to be a Juggalo/lette is to embrace life and, like the running Hatchetman (or Hatchetgirl), always move forward and cut their own path.[17]

In short, a true Juggalo/lette will be themselves and accept others for who they are.

6

Embrace absurdity. Life often doesn’t go the way we want it, and absurd things happen. A true Juggalo/lette sees the absurdity of life — which is reflected in ICP’s song lyrics — and instead of getting angsty about it, celebrates it.

7

Have a dark side. If you’re a fan of ICP’s music, chances are you’re into horrorcore (a subgenre of hip hop music whose lyrics contain horror themes/imagery). A true Juggalo/lette likely enjoys horror-related things — beyond ICP’s lyrics. Maybe you like horror movies or stories, or other violent things.

Many Juggalos/lettes defend ICP’s violent music by saying it lets them vent their dark side and impulses, helping them stay kind and happy in everyday life.

Part 3

Looking the Part

1

Paint your face. The Juggalo/lette look mimics the wicked clown makeup worn by ICP’s 2 members, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Many ‘los and ‘lettes just copy Violent J’s and Shaggy’s looks exactly, but you can also create your own look and your own Juggalo/lette name.

The two key ingredients are a completely white painted face plus black details around the mouth and eyes that create a wicked clown face. Violent J and Shaggy shake this up by changing the colors inside the black clown makeup outlines — for example, adding green, blue or red inside of the black outlines around their mouths and eyes.

When applying face makeup start with the white and cover your entire face, then block out the design on your face with a cotton ball — wiping off the white where you’ll put the black/other colors.

Be sure not to apply too much face makeup — try to keep it in a thin, even layer.

To make the makeup stick and feel a little less wet/greasy, lightly dust it with a sheer face powder (baby powder will work in a pinch) with a large blush brush.

2

Do your hair. How you wear your hair when you’re dressed in full Juggalo/lette gear will depend on your personality, but a common style is to wear your hair in twisted sections that stick out from your head like spider’s legs.

Many Juggalos/lettes wear their hair in braids or dreadlocks, but just as many have shaved or funky-colored, shorter hair. It’s really up to you!

3

Wear HatchetGear. You don't have to paint your face and do your hair to be a true Juggalo/lette. Many ‘los and ‘lettes show their support by wearing HatchetGear — ICP shirts, necklaces, belt buckles, hats etc.

Giving a Hatchetman/girl charm to another ‘lo or ‘lette is considered a high honor.[18]

Remember, it’s ultimately not about how you look; it’s about acceptance and family.

4

Have a Hatchetman or Hatchetgirl tattoo. A die-hard Juggalo/lette will likely have a tattoo of either the Hatchetman or Hatchetgirl.

5

Know that how you look is not really important. Your appearance is the least important aspect of whether you’re a Juggalo or Juggalette; living the lifestyle and listening to the music are the most important aspects of being part of the family!

Community Q&A

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Tips

Be creative in creating your Juggalo/lette persona. If you’re stuck for inspiration, check out pictures of vintage clowns and freak shows.

Don’t be violent or bigoted in the name of ICP — this will only propagate the negative ‘los and ‘lettes stereotypes. Real ‘los and ‘lettes will tell you this behaviour shows you are not truly “down with the clown.”

Warnings

Sporting HatchetGear might get you unwanted attention from police, as in 2011 the FBI released a report connecting Juggalos and Juggalettes with gang-like behaviour — a report that the ICP took the FBI to court over and lost (though are currently appealing).[19][20]